Newspaper Page Text
8 - The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Martin Luther King, Jr. National
Memorial Receives $1 Million
In Miami, former President Clinton received the Humanitarian Award from Washington, DC
Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. From left to right: Rod
Gillum, Chairman of the Memorial Foundation; Former President Bill Clinton; Harry E. Johnson,
Sr., President and CEO of the Memorial Foundation; Alberto Ibargiien, President and CEO, John
S. and James L. Knight Foundation (Photo credit: MagicalPhoto.com / Mitchell Zachs)
Knight Foundation
Spearheads South Florida
Campaign with $1 Million
Donation
AANE W S WIRE( Washingto
n, D.C.) - Former President
Bill Clinton and the South
Florida community turned
out in full force at the newly
renovated Fountaineblea
Miami last night to support
the Washington, DC Martin
Luther King, Jr. National
Memorial Project
Foundation, Inc. President
Clinton received the
Memorial Foundation’s
“Humanitarian Award” and
served as the keynote speak
er while the John S. and
James L. Knight Foundation,
through its donation of $1
million to the Memorial,
served as the lead dinner
sponsor.
"As we approach what
would have been Dr. King's
80th birthday, we can be
proud of the progress we've
made as a nation to lift racial
barriers and form a more per
fect union," President
Clinton said. "Never before
have we had the power we
have today to make Dr.
King's dream a reality, and
together, we can build a
more just and equal world
for future generations."
President Clinton
received the Memorial
Foundation’s Humanitarian
Award for his unparalleled
work related to economic
empowerment, racial, ethnic
and religious reconciliation,
health security and leader
ship development and citizen
service. He also played a
key role in the Memorial’s
inception and has remained
an active supporter. On July
16, 1998, Clinton signed a
Joint Congressional
Resolution authorizing the
building of a memorial and
on November 13, 2006 he
participated in the
Ceremonial Groundbreaking.
He has served on the
Memorial Foundation’s
President’s Council for sever
al years.
“I couldn’t be prouder
that South Florida has made
its mark on this important
tribute to Dr. King, especially
together with President
Clinton,” said Alberto
Ibargiien, President and CEO
of Knight Foundation, who
served as the Dinner Co-
Chair with his wife Susana.
“Dr. King had a transforma
tional impact on the nation
and the world. But his work
See Memorial, page 17
Savannah Music Festival
Welcomes Bonnie Raitt and Others
Savannah, Georgia - The
2009 Savannah Music
Festival (SMF), recently
called one of the “best events
around the world in 2009” by
The Times of London, now
opens on Wednesday, March
18 to include an opening
night concert by Bonnie Raitt
with special guest The
Randall Bramblett Band.
Tickets went on sale on
Thursday, January 8, online at
www.savannahmusicfesti-
val.org and by phone at 912-
525-5050. Prices are $75 for
gold circle seating and $55,
45 and 35 for tiers one
through three. Other program
changes include the addition
of blues singer Corey Harris
to “The Blues was Bom
Here” in place of John
Cephas, and old-time multi
instrumentalist Dan Gellert
accompanying his daughter
Rayna (of Uncle Earl) in three
SMF performances.
Additionally, Associate
Artistic Director Daniel Hope
will make a special guest
appearance during the
“Maestros in Concert” show
with Zakir Hussain and
Shivkumar Sharma.
Bonnie Raitt is an insti
tution in American music.
The recipient of nine GRAM
MY awards in her illustrious
career, Raitt performs in a
style all her own, melding
folk, country, blues and rock
elements with her distinctive
voice and sparkling, gritty
slide guitar playing. Moving
from Los Angeles to
Cambridge, Massachusetts in
the late 1960s, she found her
self at the heart of that
decade’s infamous folk
Bonnie Raitt
revival. Within three years,
Raitt was opening for influen
tial blues musicians like
Mississippi Fred McDowell,
Son House, Sippie Wallace,
Muddy Waters and John Lee
Hooker. Alongside her
accomplishments in the music
business, Bonnie Raitt has
been a considerable
activist/philanthropist. She
co-founded the Rhythm &
Blues Foundation in 1988,
and is heavily involved in the
promotion of America’s musi
cal heritage through programs
such as the Bonnie Raitt
Guitar Project at the Boys &
Girls Club of America.
Corey Harris is at the
forefront of a “world blues”
genre. Most recently, he
released a critically acclaimed
blues/reggae album, follow
ing Mississippi to Mali, an
album fusing the blues of
West Africa and the American
south. Harris also played a
part in Martin Scorsese’s
Blues documentary for PBS,
traveling throughout West
Africa to interview and play
music with renowned musi
cians there. At the beginning
of his musical career, Corey
Harris released a handful of
delta and country blues
albums that are regarded as
some of the best of his gener
ation. At SMF, Harris plays
with harmonica player Phil
Wiggins in place of John
Cephas, who is on doctor’s
orders to stay off the road.
“The Blues Was Bom Here”
also features Beverly
“Guitar” Watkins, and takes
place on March 19.
Dan Gellert performs
American old-time music on
banjo and fiddle, and is con
sidered one of the genre’s leg
ends. With over forty years of
playing under his belt, Fiddler
Magazine recently referred to
him as “a commanding and
uncompromising talent.” He
will join his daughter, fiddler
Rayna Gellert, in place of
Patrick Sauber at SMF 2009.
The two perform mid-day
shows at Morris Center on
March 19 and 20, and as part
of the SMF original produc
tion “Long Time Travelin’”
the following night, which
also includes Tim Eriksen,
Jim Lauderdale, the Tatnall
River Shapenote Singers,
Sacred Harp documentary
maker Matt Hinton, and
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver.
“Occurring in the mid
dle of the Johnny Mercer
Centennial, our 2009 Festival
is book ended by remarkable
performances of American
music at the Johnny Mercer
Theatre, opened by Bonnie
Raitt and closed on April 5th
by the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra,” remarks SMF
Executive & Artistic Director
Rob Gibson.
2009 BENEFIT CONCERT
with WYNTON MARSALIS
and the JlUl AT LINCOLN
CENTER ORCHESTRA
Sponsored by Ini 11 fen
Thursday, Jartuarv 29, 7:00 PM
Lot as Theatre fur ihc Aits
3-fit I rfjy Ll r : U11 :: r; in ptl 3l£- frtkcl
5 111 lii' dtduetlpti per JtSh H T.-:l
530 iftiduclion pfl 5fi&Tick(!l
DIANNE REEVE
maiicjs Ruanirs
oTHE CLAYTON
uLIFFE
OTHERS
STIAN MCBRII
1CHIUK UCH.EA
JOHN MCI .AUG -ILiM
MIKE MARSHALL
KLN PEPLDWSKl ! S |
EDDIE PALMIERI BOB SEELEY
MARCUS PR IN TUP
LLLISIYA-iSALIS
TED NASH &.0DEDN
CEPHAS £ WIGGINS
BEU FLECK
and many more anises and gem us.
TICKETS Oh SALE NOW
hr- office SOSO festal offiw 9f2 23-1 33^0
v ftnifHnrTahmLLUcImEllval :> r ;;
4 y
i ii JlHtJViun XAVWAH
- — ‘■sri'iiV-?!. iTij'-.V.-u
GLAtfAU OWM Ml-*! H
local ®
Savannah
CRiTZ
ft ,A(»yb3aaLai MlUYlll | Ml I?
AV.A
Ail ilMSl 111 i*
SAVANNAH MUSIC FESTIVAL
GET TO FEELIN’ GOOD
MARCH 18 - APRIL 5, 2009